Masked
by KK Renee
Summary: So, Katara and Zuko at a masquerade ball. Yep. This will be fun. Oneshot, almost drabble-like-If drabbles were 700 words long, that is.


**So, hello! Welcome to my story. Heads up, the Fire Nation might not have masquerade balls, but in my story, they do. Deal with it.**

"Do we _have_ to go to the party?" Sokka whined. "Fire Nation parties are long and boring and formal."

"Yes, Sokka, for the _tenth time_," Katara said, placing the final touches on her makeup, "you have to go."

"Don't worry, Snoozles. I hate it, too," said Toph.

"Come on, you guys. It'll be fun. I promise." Katara pulled her wide hat onto her head, making sure the veil covered her face just right. She studied her reflection in the mirror she had made out of ice. _Perfect_, she thought.

Sokka and Aang were wearing the masks they had gotten at the festival a long time ago, when they met Jeong Jeong. Sokka's mask was blue with a sad expression on it. Aang's was the opposite; it was orange with a big smile on it. Katara was dressed as the Painted Lady. Wearing this costume made her remember the time when they were on the run, trying to find a way to defeat Ozai. Toph was wearing a simple green mask that covered half her face and an outfit you'd never see her wear on a normal day.

"This masquerade ball thing is a dumb idea," said Toph, tugging at her dress.

The four of them (plus Zuko) were going to a masked ball in the Fire Nation for Zuko's eighteenth birthday. (Zuko had protested hundreds of times, but, apparently, he had to go with "tradition.") Everyone who was attending was to arrive in costume so nobody could tell who they were. At the end, everyone would reveal their true identity.

"It's time to go," said Aang.

They all climbed onto Appa and took off towards the Fire Nation.

A servant opened the door for them at the Palace. "Thank you," said Katara.

Inside the grand hall, there were dozens of costumed people. The four walked into the room, but then spit up. Katara kept her head down so the hat and veils would cover her. She stopped to get some punch and talked to a lady wearing a golden mask that covered her entire face. They talked until a man in a blue mask walked up to them.

"Will you dance with me?" he offered.

"Sure," Katara said, grasping his outstretched hand.

He led her out to the middle of the room as the next song began. The blue-masked-man started to dance, but Katara stood still.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know this dance. I'm not from around here, you see," she said nervously, trying to figure out who this man was. He seemed oddly familiar. Maybe she had met him briefly before at one of the towns that they had visited.

"Follow me," he said.

Katara danced oddly, but soon got comfortable. She'd learned the repeating steps halfway through the song. The man twirled her around numerous times.

The two danced and talked and had a wonderful time. Katara thought that maybe she was beginning to like this boy…maybe a little.

In the corner of the room, Katara fiddled with the sleeve of her outfit. She laughed at something the man had said about one of the other guests—something about the outrageous feathers sticking out of the woman's hair.

Katara looked up over the tops of people's heads, keeping tabs on where her friends were and what they were doing. But then she remembered that she had to hide who she was. She quickly looked back down at the ground, blushing.

"You know, I probably should've spent more time looking the Fire Lord, to wish him happy birthday and all," Katara mused, half talking to herself.

The man took off his blue mask. "The Fire Lord is right here," he said.

"_Z-Zuko_?" She asked in disbelief. _Zuko_ was the boy who she'd talked to? _Zuko_ was this boy who was laid-back and had actually _laughed_?

Suddenly, he leaned in close to Katara and pulled her hat off her head. He leaned in even further and kissed her softly on the lips. After a moment's hesitation, she returned the kiss.

**Okay, so not what I planned; certainly not as long as I'd hoped. But, I needed to write **_**something**_** because I have writer's block badly. This is something to keep me going. It's awful, yes, but, please, no flamers. Flamers should go put themselves in their pink plastic Time Out chair in the corner of the room facing the wall. :) Review! **


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